Description of Services
Therapeutic Massage:
A term for any massage that encourages the body's health and well-being.
Therapeutic Massage is more than simply pampering yourself.
It’s a logical feel-good means of staying healthy.
An increasing amount of research shows that massage reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, increases blood circulation, encourages lymph flow, relaxes muscles, improves range of motion, and increases endorphin levels.
Recent studies even suggest that Therapeutic Massage may be anti-inflammatory as well!
This is good news for anyone suffering from high stress levels and chronic inflammation.
A massage session can be as short as 30 minutes to a full hour, or even an hour and a half.
Professional draping techniques are used to ensure both privacy and comfort.
However, sometimes my clients remain clothed, depending on their comfort level and the type of injury being addressed. Whether clothed or unclothed, my clients receive professional body work in a safe and relaxing atmosphere.
Therapeutic Massage may include several types of massage and/or body-work techniques.
The following are some of the techniques I ‘bring to the table’ . . . literally!
Swedish Massage: This well-known style of massage was developed to work with the body's circulatory system.
A true Swedish Massage uses five techniques to encourage blood circulation:
Effleurage (spreading the oil and warming up the muscles);
Petrissage (kneading and working the muscles to break-down scar tissue);
Tapotement (lightly tapping), and then,
Vibration and friction (to draw blood back into the muscles).
Another key element of Swedish Massage is that all the strokes are done toward the heart which also benefits lymph flow.
Most people think of Swedish Massage as simply ‘relaxation massage’, but this style of bodywork has a lot to offer, especially for the elderly.
In our increasingly sedentary lifestyle, our circulatory system could use a little boost once in a while!
Deep Tissue Massage: Not all injuries are on the surface.
Sometimes the problem lies in a muscle beneath other muscle groups.
People often think that 'Deep Tissue Massage' means painful massage. But that's not necessarily true. I believe you should be able to get into the deeper muscle layers without causing agony.
When I work on a client, especially deep-tissue work, I ask for feedback.
I’ll usually say, “On a scale of 1 to 10, 1-to-7 is 'good pain', and 8-to-10 is 'bad pain'.
A decent deep tissue massage should never go above 6 or 7 on the pain scale.
It has to be a ‘good hurt’, not a ‘bad hurt’.
There is nothing to be gained by causing unnecessary pain.”
In short - while corrective in nature, a deep tissue massage should still be enjoyable.
Sometimes it's the best way to break up the congestion caused by scar tissue and old injuries.
Soft Tissue Release: A very effective and specific technique.
(Also known as Active Tissue Release or 'Pin and Stretch’, and is ideal for releasing ‘stuck’ muscles.)
Soft Tissue Release breaks up scar tissue and releases trigger-points (caused by locked sarcomeres) while realigning the muscle fibers for a more complete repair.
I have helped many clients get out of pain and regain range-of-motion with this simple technique.
It's particularly helpful for resolving issues like sciatica, plantar fasciitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other chronic injuries.
Fascial Work: One of the reasons we often feel ‘trapped’ inside our bodies is constricted fascia.
I became interested in fascia while still in massage school and have continued to be fascinated by it ever since!
Like tendons and ligaments, fascia is often overlooked, and therefore injuries involving the fascial system go unaddressed.
Fascia is a tissue-fabric that contains, quite literally your entire being!
Think of a very densely woven cloth that begins just beneath the skin, then travels down and around, covering and interpenetrating every muscle, bone, nerve, artery and vein, as well as each of our internal organs including the heart, lungs, brain and spinal cord.
If the fascia is constricted, everything within it will become trapped, stuck, less-able, or in some cases unable to move.
I use Myofascial Release along with other techniques like Qi Gong, to open and redirect the fascial system.
Fascial Work is especially helpful for those who struggle with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Reflexology: A style of bodywork applied to the feet and hands with the intention of affecting areas of the body not easily reached by standard massage techniques.
Being the 'open-minded-skeptic' that I am, I was pleasantly surprised at the effectiveness of this modality.
To be perfectly honest, I thought it was just 'snake-oil' when I first heard about it! But, out of curiosity I began ‘putting it to the test’ early on in my practice, and saw results that . . . well … surprised me, to say the least.
I now incorporate Reflexology into my sessions on an as-needed basis.
I also do full reflexology treatments (hands and/or feet) and teach workshops and give lessons to those who want to bring this powerful experience to their family and friends.